Feed-roller mechanism



C. E. MOORE Dec. 17, 1929.

FEED ROLLER MECHANI SM Filed Nov. 16, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet Dec. 17, 1929. C? E MOORE 1 7440366 FEED ROLLER MECHANISM Filed Nov. 16, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 17, 1929. c. E. MOORE RIM-0,366

FEED ROLLER MECHANISM Filed Nov. 16, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

5 1M 5 I? My 15 up E 0 j v J4 m w E 5 w m am 1 69.5 v Inventor" CHEL E. M0025,

Patented Dec. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARL E. MOORE, F GARY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO AMERIOANSHEET AND TIN PLATE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY FEED-ROLLER. mncnanrsivr Application filed November 16, 1928.

This invention relates to continuous strip mills and more particularly to hold-down roller mechanism for said mills, and has for its object the provision of a novel mounting s and operating mechanism for the roller.

Heretofore hold-down and guide rollers of the class to which this invention belongs have generally been of the fixed pinch-roller type and such rollers were unsatisfactorv when rolling strips, due to the fact that the strips were flexible and at times would not enter the bite of the pinch-rollers but would strike the rollers and cobble the strip.

The present invention provides means for 15 holding the hold-down roller out of the path of travel of the strip until after the strip has entered the bite of the mill rolls.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mill hav- 2o ing this invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary. sectional ele vation showing the hold-down roller in work holding position.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a wiring diagram showing the control of the apparatus of Figure 4.

Referring more particularly to the draw- 30 ings, the numeral 2 designates the mill housings which are of the usual design and in which are journaled the usual working rolls 3. A standard strip guide 4 is mounted between the housings 2 at the entering side of the mill to guide the strip being rolled into the bite of the rolls.

Supplemental bracket housings 5 are secured to the forward or enterin side of the housings 2 to support the holdown roller 6 and its associated mechanism. The housings 5 are provided with vertically disposed windows 7 in which bearing boxes 8 are slidably mounted. A shaft 9 is journaled in the hearing boxes 8 and the hold-down roller 6 is journaled on said shaft. The ends of the shaft 9 extend beyond the bearing boxes 8 and have links 10 keyed thereon, which links have their lower ends pivotally connected to the upper ends of links 12 which have their 50 lower ends keyed on a shaft 13 journaled in Serial No. 319,883.

the housings 5. An operating lever 14 is keyed on the shaft 13 and has its lower end pivotally connected to one end of an operating link 15.

The lever 14, shaft 13 and link 12 are so associated and connected as to form, in effect, a crank for reciprocating the roller 6 and shaft 9 through the links 10.

A pair of upright supports 16 are mounted adjacent the entering side of the mill housing, and a shaft 17 is journaled in bearings 17 at the upper ends of said supports. A looping table 18 is keyed at one end to the shaft 17 and an operating lever 19 is also keyed at one end to the shaft 17 and has its other end pivotally connected to the upper end of the piston rod 20 of a fluid pressure cylinder 20 which is pivotally supported, as at 21, on a base 22.

The link 15 is pivotally connected to the upper end of the piston rod 20 and is formed of two telescoping members 15 and 15 The tubular member 15 is slotted, as at 23, and the inserted member 15 is provided with a pin 24 which extends into the slot 23 to limit the relative movement of the link members.

A disk 25 is fixedly mounted on the member 15 and a second disk 26 is slidably mounted on said member. A coiled spring 27 is positioned on the member 15 between the disks 25 and 26 and is initially tensioned so as to force the disk 26 into engagement with the pin 24, and said spring 27 is adapted to be compressed when the link 15 is operated to lower the hold-down roller 6, so as to apply tension on the roller 6. A rest guide-plate 28 is rigidly mounted between the supplemental housings 5, and the roller 6 is adapted to hold the strip being rolled down against the plate 28.

In operation, the strip being rolled will be passed over the table 18 from the succeeding stand of rolls, through the guide 4 and into the'bite of the rolls 3. When the preceding mill starts to deliver excess strip or, if'desired, any time after the metal has entered the bite of the rolls 3, fluid will be admitted to the upper side of the cylinder 20 so as to force down the piston rod 20 and thereby lower'the table 18 to permit any excess strip to sag and form a loop.

Simultaneously with the lowering of the table 18 the link 15 will be forced forward so 5 as to rock the shaft 13 in a clockwise direction through the lever 14 and thereby lower the roller 6 through the link connections and 12. The forward movement of the link 15 will cause'the parts 15 and 15 to telew scope so as to compress the spring 27. The

roller 6 will thus be moved down into engagement with the strip being rolled and will hold said strip against the guide-plate 28 so as to prevent cobbling of the strip in the guide 4.

In Figure 4 I have shown a slightly modified form of my invention in which the holddown roll is operable independently of the table 18.

In this construction the link 15 is omitted and the lever 14 is pivotally connected directly to the upper end of the piston rod 30 of a fluid pressure cylinder 30* which is pivotallyisupported on the mill housing 2.

Fluid is adapted to be admitted to the opposite ends of the cylinder through conduits 31 and 32 which lead from a four-way valve 33.

The valve 33 is adapted to, be opened to admit fluid through the conduit 31 to the upper end of the cylinder 30 by a solenoid 34 which will be automatically energized when the load on the mill is increased due to the strip entering the mill, and the solenoid 34 will be automatically deenergized when r the strip passes out of the mill and the valve 33 will be reversed. The valve 33 has an operating lever 35 fulcrumed at 36 and adapted to engage and operate valve plungers 37 and 38. The solenoid 34 is pivotally connected to the lever 35at 39 and is adapted to lift the lever 35 to cause said lever to engage the valve plunger 37 to admit fluid to the conduit 31. A counterweight 40 is secured on the lever 35 and is adapted to automatically lower the lever 35 into engagement with the valve plunger 38 to admit fluid to the conduit 32 when the solenoid 34 is deenergized.

In order to automatically control the operation of the valve 33 by the load on the mill, a standard contact making ammeter 42 is provided in the circuit of the mill drivemotor (not shown), said circuit being indicated by wires 43 and 44. WVhen the load on the mill is increased by the strip entering the rolls 3 the hand 45 of the ammeter 42 will be deflected so as to close contacts 46 and 47 and thereby complete a relay circuit through lines 48 and 49 and coil 50. Energizing of the coil 50 will operate to close the contact 50 and complete a second and heavier relay circuit through lines 51 and 52 and coil 53. Energizing of the coil 53 will in turn close a contact 54 so as to complete the solenoid of the rolls 3 and will be automatically raised above the path of travel of the strip when 'the strip leaves the rolls 3. It will also be noted that the above automatic operation is entirely independent of the operation of the looping table 18.

While .I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention it Will be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since various modifications may be made Without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

7 1. The combination with a rolling mill for rolling strips, of supplemental housings secured to the main housings of said mill on the entering side thereof, windows in said supplemental housings, bearings slidably mounted in said windows, a hold-down roller journaled in said bearings, a pair of links at 'each end of said roller, the links of each of said pairs of links being pivotally .connected together, a shaft journaled in said supplemental housings, the lower link of each of said pairs of links being fixedly mounted on said shaft, the upper link of each of said pairs of links being pivotally connected to said roller, and power means for rocking said shaft and thereby reciprocate said roller vertically through said pairs of links.

2. The combination with a rolling mill for rolling strips, of supplemental housings secured to the main housings of said mill on the entering side thereof, windows in said supplemental housings, bearings slidably mounted in said windows, a hold-down roller journaled in said bearings,-a pair of links at each end of said roller, the links of each of said pairs of links being pivotally connected together, a shaft j ournaled in said supplemental housings, the lower link of each of said pairs of links being fixedly mounted on said shaft, the upper link of each of said pairs of links being pivotally connected to said roller, and power means including a hydraulic cylinder for rocking said shaft and thereby reciprocate said roller vertically through said pairs of links.

3. The combination with a rolling mill for rolling strips, of a looping mechanism comprising a looping table section pivotally mounted adjacent the entering side of said mill for vertical swinging movement, power means for swinging said looping table, a vertically movable hold-down roll mounted on the entering side of said mill and normally held in raised position out of contact with the strlp being rolled, and means for lowering said roll into contact with said strip, said means being interlocked with and operable by'the power means for operating said looping table.

4. The combination with a rolling mill for rolling strips, of supplemental housings secured to the entering side of the mill, vertically disposed Windows in said supplemental housings, bearings slidably mounted in said windows, a hold-down roller journaled in said bearings, a pair of linksat each end of said roller, the links of each of said pairs of links being pivotally connected together, a shaft journaled in said supplemental housings, the lower link of each of said pairs of links being fixedly mounted on said shaft, the upper link of each of said pairs of links being pivotally connected to said roller, a looping table section pivotally mounted adjaccnt the entering side of said mill for vertical swinging movement, and power means adapted to simultaneously swing said looping table and rock said shaft so as to cause a vertical movement of said hold-down roller.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

CARL E. MOORE. 

